Inside the world of a London media entrepreneur

18/11/2009

Welcome to my blog

I've decided that its time for me to stop talking to the walls of my office, as they remain largely unresponsive.

Instead I'll be logging my thoughts on the general state of the world's media as it tries to stop itself from imploding.

The British media sector is immersed its most exciting transition since the printing press was invented. More people are reading news, going to the cinema, listening to music and watching television in the UK than ever before.

However, due to the triple whammy of the digital revolution, the decline in newspaper readership and the global credit crunch, many people that work in the media are huddling in groups under tin helmets, desperate to avoid redundancy.

Whilst the raw panic that was omnipresent in newspapers and television stations a year ago has receded, it has only really turned into a horrible elephant in the room.

Newsrooms are full of staff with huge mortgages, huge credit card bills and huge stress levels.

To be creative and take advantage of all the opportunities that this moment offers, the media industry in the UK need two things. The first is optimism. The second is confidence.

News Corporation have realised that someone has to take a positive lead, and judging by the way that other European companies have followed their lead on charging for online content, they seem to have grabbed the role of the pied piper.

By all accounts, recent management structure changes that have taken place within the Murdoch HQ at Wapping seem both progressive and positive. Senior editorial figures remark that the new chief James Murdoch is able to grasp complicated concepts within minutes, offering input on projects quickly and cleverly. His forums where he delivers speeches to staff of all levels and encourages everyone to ask questions seem far more like something that you might expect at the Google HQ rather than in offices atop a printing plant.

It seems that JRM has grabbed the task of transforming News Corporation into a 21st century multi platform media empire with both hands.

With ex-Sun editor Rebekah Brooks now acting as the link between the titles and the board, the company now has the perfect link between its editorial engine room and its owners.

Where many of the other national newspaper publishers in the UK have only paid lip service to the digital revolution, News Limited have had the guts and self confidence to invest not only significant budget, but also inject some of their very best journalists into their online arm such as Pete Picton.

The success of dailymail.co.uk has also been largely down to the commitment of the Daily Mail's board to investing in quality editorial management. They have also consistently spent budget on content from freelancers and agencies, therefore ensuring that they get the most topical content with which to drive their incredible expansion in online readership numbers.

One thing that has always been evident within the newsroom at The Sun, News International's best selling daily, has been a huge team spirit. Despite some cuts in recent times, they have remained the agenda setting paper within the UK.

Despite the fact that Rupert Murdoch recently announced the death of newspapers, the great British public will still want cultural guidance from somewhere. This won't be in print, but it will probably come from print journalists.

By investing in their online brands and their core products, both the Daily Mail and The Sun are ensuring that whatever happens in the next decade, their brands will still be trusted to convey news and opinion.

Hopefully their lead in looking forwards rather than backwards will prove the lifebelt for other publishers who find themselves in deep and stormy waters.